In an email to supporters sent over the weekend, independent gubernatorial candidate Chris Daggett, who finished a distant third last week, indicated that he’s not planning to exit the political stage. Daggett received more than 136,000 votes, unofficially, surpassing the 114,172 that Libertarian candidate Murray Sabrin attracted in 1997. His 5.8 percent of the vote topped Sabrin’s 4.7 percent and was the most secured since 1913 by a candidate who wasn’t a Democrat or Republican. But his total was also roughly half of his average in late-in-the-race public-opinion polls and far below his peak of 20%.

It’s not apparent from the website he’s established [1]whether Daggett intends on focusing on New Jersey or beyond its borders to other states: “The Independent Movement. A fiscally conservative, socially responsible, policy driven, truly representative alternative to the 2-party system. A movement jump-started by the Daggett for Governor campaign in NJ.”

Here’s from Daggett’s email:

“My family and I are forever grateful to all the contributors, volunteers, family and friends who gave us unwavering support throughout the process. You were, and are, pioneers in an independent movement that is starting to take shape in many states. As disappointing as the outcome was, we had a real impact, and others will follow our lead. …”

“We are now discussing what we can do to keep the flame of independence alive, to change the rules that favor Democrats and Republicans over independent candidates, and to be a positive force in helping the new Governor and Legislature make our state competitive, affordable and prosperous. We are compiling our own thoughts on how to move forward (so please – stay tuned!), but we would also love to hear your ideas on how we can achieve these goals. Please email us at www.indymovement.com[2] with your thoughts and comments. We look forward to working with you in the months ahead, and we will be reaching out soon with more ideas and opportunities to get involved with this effort.”